Wedge for tools having wooden handles



Sept. 22, 1953 F. NOONEY 2,653,059-

WEDGE FOR TOOLS HAVING WOODEN HANDLES Filed May 27, 1950 JHVEHL 67f Emfd Noozaey Patented Sept. 22, 1953 f WEDGE Fort TOOLS HAVING WOODEN HANDLES Frank Nooney, Reno, Nev.

Application May 27, 1950, Serial No. 164,684

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a wedge for a tool having a wooden handle, and more particularly to wedge means for retaining a tool handle in position within a handle socket formed in a tool head.

Many various types of wedges and the like have been proposed for retaining a tool head on a wooden handle, but these prior art devices have generally been deficient inasmuch as no satisfactory means have previously been devices for retaining a wedge by other than frictional engagement of one type or another.

The present invention now provides an improved wedge means which comprises a conventional symmetrical wedge which is easily driven into that portion of the tool handle extending into the tool head socket. The wedge is provided intermediate its length with a central slot through which a wedge pin is inserted. The pin extends through an aperture in the tool head socket wall registering with the wedge aperture and into contact with the interior surface of that side of the tool head socket opposite the aperture through which the pin is inserted. The pin surface contacting the wedge aperture is provided with a camming contour serving to draw the wedge further into the handle. Thus, if the tool handle should become loosened, the pin may be driven further into the handle to force the wedge downwardly within the tool head socket and handle.

Also, the pin is provided with a relatively thin easily deformable terminal portion which is adapted to abut the interior surface of the tool head socket upon insertion of the pin thereinto, so that the pin end is deformed in a re-entrant fashion into the tool handle. The re-entrant portion of the pin thus serves to lock the pin in position within the tool head socket to aid in retaining the pin and the wedge therein.

It is. therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide an improved wedge for a tool having a wooden handle.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved fastening means for retaining a wooden handle within the socket of a tool head, the means including a wedge and a deformable pin extending through the tool head and the wedge to retain the same therein.

It is a further important object of the present invention to provide an improved tool having a wooden handle secured within a tool head socket by means including a sharpened wedge driven into that portion of the handle retained within the tool head socket, and a pin extending through registering apertures in the tool head socket and the wedge itself to retain the wedge within the handle, the pin being deformed from its original configuration into the interior of the handle to aid in retaining the same in position.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide means for retaining a wedge within a handle extending into the handle socket of a tool head comprising a pin extending to registering apertures in the tool head socket and the wedge onto contact with the interior of the tool head socket, the pin having an enlarged camming surface contacting the wedge in the interior of the handle to force the wedge into the handle, thereby effecting tightening of the handle in the socket if the same should become loosened during use.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a tool provided with a wooden handle secured to a tool head by a wedge means of the present invention;

Figure 2 .is an enlarged sectional View with parts shown in elevation along the plane II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational perspective view of a wedge of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a side elevational View of a wedge pin of the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a plan elevational view of a wedge pinsuch as that shown in Figure 4.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 1 reference. numeral l0 refers generally to a tool having a rigid metal head I l provided with a central elongated handle-receiving socket [2 (Figure 2).

As illustrated in the drawings, the tool is is a claw-type hammer, although it will be appreciated that any other type of tool, such as a pickax, hatchet, orthe like, may also utilize the present invention.w

The handle socket I2 is provided with sloping interior wall surfaces, so that the socket is of greater breadth at its upper portion than at its lower portion. A handle I3 is snugly fitted within the socket l2, the handle having an upper por tion [4 insertable into the socket and having side surfaces generally corresponding to the socket interior wall [2. The handle portion I l terminates in an outwardly directed peripheral shoulder l5 upon which the tool head I I is seated, and

the tight frictional set of the handle portion id within the socket I2 is secured by the provision.

of a tapered wedge i6 driven into the handle portion M confined within the socket E2.

The wedge I6, as best illustrated in Figure 3,. is provided with a lower sharpened edge H and with a plain upper surface [8 adapted to receive blows from a hammer or the like to drive the wedge into the handle portion M. The Wedge is. centrally apertured, as at N, the upper and lowerterminal edges of the aperture being inclined slightly in parallel relation, as at 2%.

That portion of the tool head defining one side wall of the socket I2 is apertured, as at 25, to receive therethrough a wedge pin 22 extending interiorly of the socket I2 into the handle portion M. The pin 22 thus extends through theregistering apertures l9 and 2! and serves to prevent displacement of the wedge !2 from its posi-- tion within the handle portion I4.

As shown in greater detail in Figures 4 and on the drawings, the pin 22 comprise a reduced pointed terminal portion 23, a transversely enlarged intermediate portion 2 providing an edge camming surface, and a second terminal portion 25 opposing the reduced terminal portion 23. It will be seen in Figure 5 that one side surface 2% of the pin 22 is substantially plain while the opposing side 2'l is inclined relative to the surface 26 with the terminal portion 23 being sharply reduced in transverse Width.

The utilization of the device is best shown in Figure 2 in which it will be seen that upon insertion of the pin 22 to the registering apertures 59 and 2!, the pin portion 23 abuts the socket side wall of the head i l opposite the aperture 2 l and upon continued movement of the pin to the socket, the pin terminal portion 23 is deformed into a re-entrant hook biting into the Wooden handle portion M. By the provision of a thick ened intermediate portion 2 1, the aperture B9 in the wedge may be of considerably greater extent than the terminal portion 23 of the pin, thereby insuring entry of the head through the aperture it with the inclined upper and lower surfaces of the pin insuring the guiding of the pin into the aperture It. Further, the provision of the straight side 26 of the pin again aids in guiding the pin through the aperture 19, The camming edge surface provided by the relatively thick central portion 24 of the pin extends into close frictional fit with the surface of the aperture, so that abutment between the pin and the wedge will prevent removal of the wedge without concurrent removal of the pin, which removal of the pin is prevented by the re-entrant pin portion 23.

The advantages residing in the present invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. it will be seen from Figure 1 that the pin portion 25 contacts the lower edge 2% of the aperture H9 in camming engagement therewith and that the pin portion 22 fits snugly laterally in the aperture M. The camming edge 25) urges the wedge downwardly within the handle, and if the handle becomes loose within the socket, further inward driving of the pin Will pull the wedge further into the handle, spreading the same to insure snug frictional fit despite shrinkage of the handle during use. With this end in view the pin portion 25 projects beyond the socket to permit further driving of the pin into the handle to tighten the wedge therein.

The inclining of the wedge walls 2!! bring the wedge aperture l9 into closer registry with the socket aperture 2|, thus facilitating accurate insertion of the pin through the wedge aperture I9. Also, the utilization of a vertically oversized hole of the socket of the wedge to facilitate insertion of the pin is satisfactory, inasmuch as the re-entrant terminal hooked portion 23 of the pin 22 prevents shifting of the handle within the socket and since the pin 22 fits snugly within the socket aperture in its lateral dimension.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a tool, a tool head having a socket therethrough and an aperture in a side wall of said socket, a wooden handle seated in said socket and projecting from one end thereof, a wedge member driven into said handle within said sockst and toward said one end of said socket and having an aperture there-through disposed closer to said one end of said socket than said aperture ,aid side wall of said socket, and a pin driven into said handle through said apertures, said pin having an intermediate surface portion engaging the wall portion of said aperture in said wedge member closest to said one end of said socket and so inclined as to cam said wedge :neznber toward said one end of said socket as said pin is driven into said handle, and said pin having a tapered terminal end portion in engagement with an internal surface portion of said tool head socket and bent toward said one end of said socket and back toward. said wedge member to define a reentrant hook preventing reverse movement of said pin out of said handle and maintaining carnrning engagement between said intermediate surface portion of said pin and said wall portion of said aperture in said wedge member.

2. In a tool, a tool head having a socket there" through and an aperture in a side wall of said socket, a wooden handle seated in said socket and projecting from one end thereof, a wedge member driven into said handle within said socket and toward said one end of said socket and having an aperture therethrcugh disposed closer to said one end of said socket than said aperture in said side wall of said socket, and a pin driven into said handle through said apertures, said pin having an intermediate surface portion engaging the wall portion of said aperture in said Wedge member closest to said one end of said socket and so inclined as to cam said wedge member toward one end of said socket as said pin is driven into said handle, and said pin having a substantial surface portion at its extremity in engagement with an internal surface portion of said tool head socket to resist movement of said pin and said wedge member away from said one end of said socket and maintain camrning engageinent between said intermediate surface portion of said pin and said wall portion of said aperture in said wedge member.

FRANK NOQNEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES Number Name Date 10,3844 Hine Jan. 3, i 197,825 Campbell Dec. 4, 137'? 281,333 Grellner June 18, 1882 1,336,707 Mallett Apr. 13, 1926 

